Discharge means for concrete mixers



Oct. 29, 1940. c; w CRONK 2,219,863

DISCHARGE MEANS'FOR CONCRETE MIXERS Filed Jan. 8, 1940 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES DISCHARGE MEANS FOR CONCRETE MIXERS George W. Cronk, East Orange, N. J., assignor to Ransome Concrete Machinery 00., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 8, 1940, Serial No. 312,873

3 Claims.

This invention relates to discharge means for concrete mixers, and more particularly to apparatus for conveying concrete material discharged from the rearend of a mixing drum to an elevated point where it may. be carried by a chute-to inaccessible or remote points.

The primary object of my invention is to provide improved apparatus operable by the rotary movement of a mixing drum for intercepting and conveying the discharged contents of the latter to an elevated point where they may be conveniently chuted to normally inaccessible or distant points.

A further object of my invention is to provide improved discharge means of the kind characterized, having novel means for selectively conveying the discharged contents of themixing drum to an elevated position where they may be chuted to points removed from the drum, or for 90 intercepting the said discharged contents and conveying them without elevation to a nearby location.

Other and further objects of my invention will be pointed out hereinafter or will be indicated in the appended claims or will be obviousto one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. For the purposes of this application I have elected to show herein certain forms and details of discharge means for truck or concrete mixers representative of my invention;

it is to be understood, however, that the embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is for the purpose of illustration only, and that therefore it is not to be regarded as exhaustive of the variations of the invention, nor it is to be given an interpretation such as might have the effect of limiting-the claims, short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

4 In the accompanying drawing illustrating the 50 vided an outwardly flared annular flange 2. The

flange 2 constitutes a seat for a closure 3 which is capable of being actuated in the usual manner to an open or a closed position by means of a rearwardly disposed hand wheel 4.

55 Secured as by bolts or other suitable means to the periphery of the annular flange 2 is a circular conveyor casing 5 having a central opening at its forward side which has a diameter corresponding preferably to the diameter of the peripheral extremities of the sloping part of the 5 said flange. The rear side of the conveyor casing 5 is provided with a central opening somewhat larger in size than the central opening in the forward side. Distributed circularly around the interior of the casing 5 at its periphery, are a plurality of curved or otherwise suitably shaped blades or vanes 5. The blades each span the interior of the casing from the front to the rear side thereof, and each preferably has a depth corresponding substantially to the depth of the 15 said rear side. The blades are each preferably provided with an increased curvature, as at 6, near its juncture with the peripheral side of the conveyor casing, thereby causing the particular body of plastic concrete material supported by 20 each blade during the rotation of the casing to readily slide therefrom as its maximum height is attained.

Extending into the conveyor casing 5 through the central opening at the rear side thereof is a gathering chute or apron 1, which is suitably supported in a stationary position near the upper side of the casing as by a structure 8. The chute 1 is located directly beneath the inner edge of the blades 6 and in a position whereby it may 30 receive the concrete material discharged by gravity from the said blades. The concrete material falling onto the gathering chute I is normally'discharged into a comparatively long chute 9 and thereby conveyed to a location remotely removed from the mixer. The chute 9 may be suitably supported in either an operative or an inoperative position by means such as pivoted members 10 secured to the frame II on which the mixing drum I is mounted. 40

So as to normally prevent the concrete material during the discharge operation, from spilling over the rear side of the casing 5 at points beneath the lower edge of the flange 2, a non- I rotatable but pivoted 'bafile member I2 is positioned to "normally close the'lowerpart of the central opening in the rear side of theconveyor casing 5. The baffle member I2 is preferably provided at its lower extremity with a rounded edge which is positioned in close proximity to the inner circular edge of the rear side of the conveyor casing, thereby normally preventing the discharged contents of the mixing drum from spilling over the lower inner edge of the said rear side. The upper edge of the baflle member is swung inwardly to an inclined position (as 7 shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1) is simultaneously moved to a position where its upper edge is located directly adjacent and beneath the lower edge of the annular flange 2. When in such an inclined position the lower edge of the chute l4 extends well beyond the rear side of the casing 5, thereby permitting the discharged contents of the mixing drum to be intercepted and conveyed rearwardly in the usual manner without engagement with the rotating conveyor casing 5. Suitable hand control means I5 operated in the manner of set screws, is provided in conjunction with the pivotal mounting of the bafile member I2 to secure the latter in either a vertical or an inclined position.

The conveyor casing 5 being secured to the mixing drum, is rotated by and at the same speed as the latter. For discharging purposes the mixing drum is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, and at the same time the conveyor casing and its blades are similarly rotated. In order that the blades 6 may operate successively as circularly moving scoops for conveying the discharged contents of the mixing drumto an elevated distributing point, their shape is such that each is disposed at a suitably inclined position with respect to the curved peripheral side of the conveyor casing. Thus, as the discharged concrete material falls downwardly from the mixing drum it is received by the rotating conveyor casing and conveyed upwardly to a point-where it discharged by gravity onto the gathering chute 1. From the gathering chute the concrete material is then carried by the chute 9 to a predetermined location. Owing to the constant movement and agitation of the concrete material from the time it emerges from the mixing drum to the time it arrives at its predetermined remotely removed destination, there is no chance for any separation of the ingredients to occur, but on the contrary the mixing action is aggressively carried on at all times during the entire discharge and transporting operation. Owing to the continuous and uninterrupted mixing operation, the concrete material delivered byithe discharge apparatus herein shown and described is of a considerably improved and uniform quality.

For the sake of clearness and simplicity, the well known appurtenances normally associated with mixing drums of this nature, such as mixing and discharge blades, means for rotating the drum, etc., have been purposely omitted'from ,a plurality of blades the drawing, it being apparent that they do not constitute a part of my invention.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. In combination with a rotatable material mixing drum having a rear end discharge opening, a substantially ring-shaped conveyor casing secured to the rear end of the drum and positioned to receive material discharged from the discharge opening of the drum, a series of circularly arranged blades carried by the conveyor casing and adapted to convey the material discharged into the conveyor casing to an elevated point substantially above the discharge opening of the drum for delivery thereof to a remote location, means for receiving the material at said elevated point and for conveying it to said remote location, and means pivotally mounted within the confines of the conveyor casing for intercepting the material discharged from the discharge opening without it entering the conveyor casing and for conveying it beyond the casing.

2. In combination with a rotatable material mixing drum having a rear end discharge opening, a substantially ring-shaped, conveyor casing located exteriorly of the drum and being of considerably greater diameter than the diameter of the discharge opening, the said conveyor casing being secured to the rear end of the mixing drum and positioned to receive material discharged from the discharge opening, a non-rotatable, baflle member positioned to prevent material from spilling from the casing during the discharge thereof into the said casing, and means carried by the casing for conveying the material discharged into the casing to an elevated distributing point above the discharge opening of the drum.

3. In combination with a rotatable material mixing drum having a rear end discharge opening, a substantially ring-shaped conveyor casing of considerably greater diameter than the diameter of the discharge opening secured to the rear end of the drum and positioned to receive material discharged from the discharge opening, distributed circularly around. the interior of the casing for conveying material. to a high point of discharge, the said casing having a forward side with a central circular opening slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the discharge opening and the said casing having a rear side with a central circular opening substantially larger than the central opening in the forward side, a nonrotatable pivoted baille member positioned to close the lower portion of the central opening in the rear side of the conveyor casing, and chute means on the rear side of the baflle member, the said baflle member and chute means being adapted to be shifted to inclined positions whereby the material discharged from the rear discharge Opening of the drum may be intercepted by the chute and conveyed rearwardly without it entering the conveying casing.

GEORGE W. CRONK. 

